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The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Fewer people falling sick in Kerala, but annual treatment costs rising, says study
As many as 206 people in a population of 1,000 used to fall sick every two weeks in Kerala in 1987. In 2004, this came down to 79, and it further dropped to 74 in 2019. However, the cost of treatment per episode rose from ₹17 in 1987 to ₹234 in 2019. The per capita annual medical treatment cost during the period rose from ₹89 to ₹678. While the fall in number of the sick could be a result of the reduced rate of infectious disease outbreaks, the rise in per capita annual medical treatment cost could be due to a rise in lifestyle diseases that require expensive treatment and a high life expectancy, says 'Kerala Studies 2.0' released by the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) here on Sunday (July 13). The study notes that the cost of treatment per episode did not go up much between 2004 and 2019, probably because of the improved facilities in public health institutions. 'Kerala Studies 2.0' is a detailed survey of the changes that happened in the State's socio-economic and political spheres between 2004 and 2019. It is a sequel to a similar study conducted in 2004 and released in 2006. The participants were divided into extremely poor, poor, lower middle class, and upper middle class categories. The study was conducted by a team led by K.P. Aravindan, a public health expert and former Head of the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. A team led by T.P. Kunhikannan, former State president, KSSP, collected the data. According to the study, Kerala is fast becoming a society dominated by the middle class. There has been a 356.6% increase in the cost of buying consumer durables in the period. Houses with air-conditioners rose from 1% of the population to 10%. The main causes of indebtedness are the wedding expenses of girls and unexpected catastrophic health expenditure. People are found to have been more contented with the performance of local body institutions and State government institutions than Central government institutions. In 2004, more people said that the Central government institutions were better. Former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac released the book by handing over a copy to popular science activist K. Sreedharan.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
AIIMS doctor says cancer relapse can be prevented if you start with these 4 lifestyle habits
Cancer relapse refers to the reappearance of malignant cells after a period of remission. It can occur months to decades post-treatment, with metastatic latency (dormant cancer cells) being a key mechanism. Cancer can come back years later, even after a clean report but you can prevent it by adopting these 4 lifestyle modifications.(Image by Pexels) In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Poonam Sharma, Associate Professor and Officiating Head - Department of Pathology at AIIMS Jammu, shared that relapse rates vary by cancer type: Breast cancer shows 10% locoregional relapse rates despite optimal treatment Non-metastatic Ewing sarcoma has 2-10 year relapse windows in many patients Early relapsed breast cancer (within 8 months) correlates with poor prognosis. Dr Poonam Sharma answered, 'Our genes can significantly affect the chances of a cancer returning. Some people inherit genetic mutations that make their cancer more likely to come back. For instance, certain mutations—such as those in the TP53 or PIK3CA genes—are commonly found in relapsed breast cancers. In other cases, new genetic changes can develop in cancer cells over time, making them more aggressive or resistant to treatment.' Findings suggest that night shifts disrupt natural 24-hour rhythms in the activity of certain cancer-related genes, making night shift workers more vulnerable to DNA damage while also causing the body's DNA repair mechanisms to be mistimed to deal with that damage.(Unsplash) She revealed, 'Researchers have also found that some inherited genetic variants can explain why certain groups of people are at higher risk for relapse. For example, specific genetic markers help explain why relapse rates differ between racial groups in childhood leukemia.' Genetics and cancer relapse Genetics matter more in some cancers than others. Dr Poonam Sharma explained, 'In breast cancer, for example, researchers have found that certain gene mutations are common in cases where the cancer comes back. Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, can also be more likely to return if certain genes are active. Bladder cancer and some childhood leukemias (like acute lymphoblastic leukemia) are also influenced by specific genetic factors.' The connection between diet and gene regulation highlights the potential for dietary interventions in preventing colorectal cancer.(AdobeStock) She added, 'In these cancers, knowing about your genetic makeup can help doctors personalize your care. For example, if you have a gene that increases your risk of relapse, your doctor might recommend more frequent check-ups or different treatments to help keep the cancer from returning.' Lifestyle and cancer relapse According to Dr Poonam Sharma, modifiable factors significantly affect outcomes: Diet: Western dietary patterns increase recurrence risk vs Mediterranean diets. Weight management: Obesity correlates with 30-40% higher mortality in survivors. Physical activity: Reduces all-cause mortality by 43% in cancer survivors. Substance avoidance: Smoking cessation lowers recurrence risk by 22%. Dr Poonam Sharma pointed out, 'While genetics determine baseline risk, lifestyle modifications can mitigate approximately 30% of relapse risk through metabolic regulation and immune modulation. Breast and colorectal cancers show particularly strong lifestyle interaction effects.' Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Fox News
12-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Common pain medication could reduce cancer spread, study finds
Taking a common over-the-counter pain reliever could help keep certain cancers from spreading. That's according to a new study from the University of Cambridge, which found that aspirin could reduce cancer metastatis (spread) by stimulating participants' immune systems. The findings were published in the journal Nature on March 5. In mouse models, scientists discovered that a certain protein called ARHGEF1 suppresses T-cells, which are immune cells that can pinpoint and attack individual cancer cells that break away from original tumors, according to a press release. ARHGEF1 was "switched on" when T cells were exposed to thromboxane A2 (TXA2), a chemical produced by platelets that helps with blood clotting. Too much of TXA2 can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. That's where aspirin comes in — it is already known to stop the production of TXA2 and prevent clotting, which is why it may be recommended to prevent cardiac events in some people. "Aspirin, or other drugs that could target this pathway, have the potential to be less expensive than antibody-based therapies." "This new research found that aspirin prevents cancers from spreading by decreasing TXA2 and releasing T cells from suppression," the press release stated. In mice with melanoma, the ones that were given aspirin had less frequent metastases of the cancer compared to those who were not given the medication. "It was a 'eureka' moment when we found TXA2 was the molecular signal that activates this suppressive effect on T cells," stated first author Dr. Jie Yang from the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in the release. "Before this, we had not been aware of the implication of our findings in understanding the anti-metastatic activity of aspirin," he went on. "Aspirin, or other drugs that could target this pathway, have the potential to be less expensive than antibody-based therapies, and therefore more accessible globally." Previous studies have suggested that daily aspirin treatment is associated with reduced cancer spread in humans with the disease and with reduced cancer mortality in patients without metastasis, noted senior researcher Dr. Rahul Roychoudhuri, professor of cancer immunology at the University of Cambridge. In one randomized controlled trial, taking 600 milligrams of aspirin daily for an average of 25 months substantially reduced cancer incidence in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer. Pashtoon Kasi, MD, medical director of gastrointestinal medical oncology at City of Hope Orange County in California, reiterated that previous research has linked aspirin use with a reduced risk of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal tract cancers. "It has been identified in numerous studies with mixed results on reducing the risk of recurrence and/or improving outcomes in patients with metastatic cancer," Kasi, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. "This new study further demonstrates how aspirin and other inhibitors of this pathway could be used in new treatments to prevent the cancer from metastasizing or spreading." Roychoudhuri, the senior researcher, encouraged caution in applying the findings. While aspirin is low-cost and widely available, its long-term use is not without "significant risks," he said, including stomach bleeding and haemorrhagic stroke, particularly in older individuals. "This is why we emphasize that patients should not start taking aspirin for cancer prevention without specific medical advice from their doctor," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The risk-benefit calculation varies substantially between individuals based on age, comorbidities and concurrent medications," the doctor noted. "Patients interested in aspirin therapy should discuss it with their oncologist or family practitioner, who can evaluate the potential benefits against the risks." Kasi pointed out the study's potential limitations, primarily that the research was conducted on mice models rather than humans. "The study also did not take into account complications that some people who use aspirin regularly experience, such as bleeding or interactions with other medications," he noted. "However, it builds upon the growing body of evidence … and provides mechanistic insights into how this effect might occur from an immune perspective." Kasi agreed that patients should talk to their doctor to discuss the benefits and health risks associated with regular aspirin use. "In some cases, low-dose aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs are already being considered in clinical use, as well as in additional trials – for example, for individuals born with Lynch syndrome who have a higher predisposition to developing colorectal, endometrial and other cancers," he noted. The scientists are planning to conduct more research — through the Add-Aspirin clinical trial, which will recruit more than 10,000 patients with early-stage breast, colorectal, gastroesophageal and prostate cancers across the U.K. and India — to determine whether aspirin can stop or delay the recurrence of these cancers. "Patients interested in aspirin therapy should discuss it with their oncologist or family practitioner, who can evaluate the potential benefits against the risks." "Our research suggests aspirin could potentially be most beneficial for patients with early-stage cancers who have been treated with curative intent but might harbor undetected micrometastases," Roychoudhuri said. "However, further clinical validation is needed before specific recommendations can be made." For more Health articles, visit The research received funding from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council. The Add-Aspirin clinical trial is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council and the Tata Memorial Foundation of India.
Boston Globe
14-02-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Eating yogurt could reduce colon cancer risk, researchers find
The bacteria is found in yogurt, MGB said in a statement, and the researchers believe 'long-term yogurt intake' may reduce the cancer risk by 'changing the gut microbiome.' They cautioned that more research is needed before they can draw firm conclusions. To conduct the study, researchers examined data from two prior studies that tracked more than 151,000 health professionals over decades, MGB said. Participants answered repeated questionnaires about lifestyle factors and disease outcomes, including their average daily intake of plain and flavored yogurt. 'The researchers did not observe a significant association between long-term yogurt intake and overall colorectal cancer incidence, but they did see an association in Bifidobacterium -positive tumors, with a 20 percent lower rate of incidence for participants who consumed two or more servings of yogurt a week," the statement said. Advertisement The lower rate was 'driven by lower incidence of Bifidobacterium -positive proximal colon cancer — a type of colorectal cancer that occurs in the right side of the colon," MGB said. Prior studies have found that patients with proximal colon cancer have worse survival outcomes than patients with distal cancers, which start near the pancreas, MGB said. A Bifidobacterium-positive tumor refers to one that contains the bacteria in its tissue. Dr. Shuji Ogino, a study author who leads the Program in Molecular Pathological Epidemiology in the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said the findings are intriguing. 'Our study provides unique evidence about the potential benefit of yogurt,' Ogino said in a statement. Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, a coauthor of the study, said 'it has long been believed that yogurt and other fermented milk products are beneficial for gastrointestinal health. 'Our new findings suggest that this protective effect may be specific for Bifidobacterium -positive tumors,' Ugai, who works in the Brigham's Department of Pathology as well as the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in the statement. Advertisement Another co-author, Dr. Andrew T. Chan, chief of Massachusetts General Hospital's Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, said the study provides a guidepost for further research. 'This paper adds to the growing evidence that illustrates the connection between diet, the gut microbiome, and risk of colorectal cancer,' Chan said. 'It provides an additional avenue for us to investigate the specific role of these factors in the risk of colorectal cancer among young people.' Travis Andersen can be reached at
